The real feel of old Ireland with a hearty chowder recipe

You can almost feel the fresh Irish sea air while you enjoy this delicious healthy seafood dish.iStock

It’s not surprising that chowder is an Irish menu staple. Seen as a “poor man’s food” the hearty soup made with cream and seafood is right down Ireland’s alley when it comes to wholesome local produce.

The popularity of chowder was certainly evident at the fifth All Ireland Chowder Cook-Off, in Kinsale, County Cork last year when 1,000 people came out to taste the countries favorite. Pat O'Neill of Bunratty Manor Hotel, County Clare, was awarded the top prize and declared the champs at the event hosted by Kinsale Good Food Circle. Danny and Dympna Fitzpatrick from Fitzpatrick's Bar and Restaurant, Dundalk, County Louth, last year’s winners came in a close second.

The Irish may be world class when it comes to chowder chops but what does it take to make a perfect batch. As the soup is so old, its name itself derived from the Latin calderia, which originally meant a place for warming things, and later came to mean cooking pot, the recipe is ever varying.

According to the Kinsale Good Food Circle a good chowder starts with cream and wine and then varying combinations of the popular basic ingredients are added, including prawns, lobster, mussels, and clams. Many chowders also featured a vegetable component – chopped leeks, fennel and celery being popular. Of course there are healthier options to this recipe using stock and no wine for example but the basic ingredients and natural flavors of this dish will blow you away. And what better way to serve this sumptuous healthy and home-grown feast than with some homemade brown bread slathered with Irish butter.